Life float



March 1949. E. F. HISCOCK LIFE FLOAT Filed Jan. 27, 1945 Patented Mar.8, 1949 UNITED STATES i filTENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

1 The present invention relates to a life float and has for its ma nobject a rugged, simply constructed float wh ch will maintain buoyancyand serviceability and rough handling both on other. The large centralzone it: of each face of the platform may be bowed only to a slightextent or be substantially fiat. t will be understood that thisconstruction with the sloping portions board ship and during launching,and which will 5 surrounding the central zone Hi all water that supportthe maximum number of survivors out will enter the float will flow outof the float of the water in relative s ety having a through theopenings between the platform and mum of additional reserve buoyancy tosupport the bulwark which will be described in greater desurvivorsclinging to its edges. tail in the later portion of this specification.The Other objects of the present invention are to ma'ginal portion 5%;of the platform preferably provide a life float which be arranged to hashorizontal parallel faces ll. float free of Or be thrown or launchedfrom the The second element of the present life float vessel without theaid of any lowering devices of is the bulwark it which. takes the formof an any kind; which reversible and which can be annulus having a crosssection shown in Fig. 2 used either side up. 16 also made of hollowsheet metal filled with balsa The present life float embodies a hollowlight wood, cork or any other suitable light and nonsheet metalconstruction which is with light absorbent material. Attached to thebulwark 253 non-absorbent buoyant material such as cellular is thehardwood rubbing strip 25. plastic, cellular rubber, or any other lightbuoyant The bulwark and the platform may be manu material. Essentiallythe construction includes 20 factured as separate units and the over alldimentwo elements; one in the form of a self-bailing sions of theplatform are substantially smaller buoyant inner deck platform uponwhich than the corresponding inner dimensions of the survivors may sitor lie above the surface of the bulwark ring. Thus, the platform readilyenters water and the other in the form of an outer ring the bulwark ringwhile providing a substantial bulwark which with the inner deck and itsdrainamount of space between its edges and the inner age arrangements,provides the required buoyface of the bulwark ring. For the purpose ofarmy, stability and further provides a raised bulholding the two unitsin assembly spacer clips wark to prevent the survivors from slidingover-- are employed and are shown in cooperating pairs board and inaddition also provides a backrest I gripping the marginal portion of theplatform. and substantial free board and protection against One set ofsuch spacer clips 3! may be welded washing and wetting by the sea. orotherwise attached to the bulwark ring as The sheet metal in the presentlife oat is shown. These clips provide a series of shoulders preferablycompletely covered with plasticized 32 which are designed to receive themarginal canvas or similar non-skid protecting material portion of theplatform and keep the same spaced closely and finnly adhered to themetal. from the bulwark ring. When the platform is Other objects andadvantages of my invention deposited on the clips or spacers 3! thecooperatwill become apparent to persons skilled in the art ing clips 33are attached to the clips Si by means from the illustrative embodimentof my invention of screws or bolts 34. shown in the accompanyingdrawings and de- As is clearly shown Fig. 1 the spacer clips scribed inthe following specification. are spaced from each other and will be seento In the drawings: serve the function of holding the platform in Figurel is a top plan view of the float; and assembly with the bulwark ringand also the Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof showing half functionof holding the edges of the platform the float in section. spaced fromthe bulwark ring. The spacer clips Fig. 3 is a detail showing of theclips. are spaced from each other so that they alternate The life floatcomprises essentially the element with and serve to form passages 35between the 58 which constitutes a reversible deck and is comedges ofthe platform and the bulwark ring, posed of the hollow sheet metal shellll filled which render the float self bailing. with the material l2which may be of any desir- In the present float the platform is disposedable light non-absorbent buoyant material such substantially in themedian zone, namely, the zone as cellular plastic foam, cellular rubberor the which embraces the median plane of the bulwark like. The exposedfaces 53 of the platform til ring and the platform as well as the entirefloat may be described as being bowed or as sloping is symmetrical aboutthe median plane of the towards the outer edges as indicatedparticularly ring. Thus the float is reversible, no care need by thezone M which is directed toward each 55 be taken when it is tossedoverboard and it is ready for use whichever way it alights on the water.

The buoyancy is such that when the float supports its rated number ofsurvivors, the upper surface of the deck will be above the level of thewater.

The deck or platform is provided with several through passages 40 havingremovable water tight closures 4| at each end. These constitute chamherefor housing any desired emergency supplies or equipment, such as food,flash lights, signal equipment or the like. These chambers 40 areaccessible from either end.

Instead of sheet metal the present float may employ a variety of sheetplastic materials, such as methyl methacrylate or plasticized compositematerials such as canvas impregnated with suitable plastics, whichrender it rigid and flexible or other such materials. Many suchmaterials, which are light and increase the buoyancy of the float may beemployed.

I claim:

1. A life float comprising a buoyant bulwark ring having a keg-shapedcross section, a platform disposed in the median zone of the ring, saidplatform having its faces oppositely bowed, the space between said facesbeing filled with cellular nonabsorbent buoyant material, and spacerclips carried by the ring and holding the platform in assembly with thering, said spacer clips forming passages between the platform and thering, each of said spacer clips comprising one element fixedly carriedby the bulwark ring and another element detachably attached thereto.

2. A life float comprising a, buoyant bulwark ring consisting of ahollow annular shell filled with a cellular nonabsorbent buoyantmaterial, a platform disposed in the median zone of the ring, saidplatform comprising an outwardly bowed element of sheet material on itsupper and lower face and buoyant nonabsorbent cellular material fillingthe space between said elements, and spacer clips carried by the ringand holding the platform in assembly with the ring and providingpassages between the platform and the ring, each of said spacer clipscomprising one element fixedly carried by the bulwark ring and anotherelement detachably attached thereto.

EARLE F. HISCOCK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,121,052 Roberts et a1. June 21,1938 2,173,963 Eubank Sept. 26, 1939 2,334,924 Hansen Nov. 23, 19432,344,652 Spanner Mar. 21, 1944 2,367,902 Taylor Jan. 23, 1945 FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Date 230,979 Great Britain Mar. 26, 1925

